In the last few years telecommunications devices such as cellular phones, landline phones and IP-based phones have become more and more capable, offering an increasing array of functions. Once limited to simple point-to-point voice communications, telecommunications devices have evolved into so-called “smart phones” that offer many different modes of telecommunication, such as voice, video, text messaging, instant messaging, email, and other modes of communication. Furthermore, modern smart phones have capabilities approaching those of more traditional desktop computers, including the ability to load and run third party applications. Applications are available for business use, as well as for personal use, education, and entertainment.
Many people view their telecommunications devices as critical to daily life: necessary for coordinating both business and personal activities. Among many families, cell phones, in particular, are becoming a primary means of communication, and more and more children have their own mobile telecommunications devices. This allows parents to keep in touch with their children despite the hectic schedules of both parents and children.
Telecommunications devices now consist of a myriad of form factors, such as traditional landline phones, cordless phones, cellular phones, smart phones, PDA phones, desktop and portable computers, media players, home telecommunications hubs, or the like (hereinafter “telecommunications devices”), which have become a ubiquitous part of modern life. Originally, most of these telecommunications devices just provided two-way voice communication between a first person at a first location using a first telecommunications device and a second person at a second location using a second telecommunications device, so that the first person and the second person were able to carry on a conversation. For example, a voice communication or call normally involved real-time, duplex, synchronous voice communications, in which all participants hear the other participants in real time, all participants can simultaneously speak, and all participants are actively engaged and respond directly and immediately to each other without significant interruption.
More recently, telecommunications devices are frequently capable of both voice and data communications, using various modes of such communications. In addition to person-to-person communications, many modern telecommunications devices are capable of other types of data communications through access to the Internet and other databases. For example, many telecommunications devices have built-in web browsers for Internet navigation.
Furthermore, many network service providers or telecommunications device manufacturers now provide a website or “store” from which users may purchase various applications (i.e., an “app store”) to add various capabilities to their telecommunications devices. These network service providers or manufacturers also enable third parties to create third party applications that can be downloaded and used on the telecommunications devices. For example, an app store might make available for download a large number of applications written by third parties, in addition to applications provided by the network service provider or by the telecommunications device manufacturer. The third party applications and service provider/manufacturer applications might typically be marketed for a specified download fee, and may be purchased from the app store through the Internet or over the network service provider's own network. By picking and choosing which applications to download to a particular telecommunications device, the telecommunications device owner can decide which corresponding capabilities the particular telecommunications device will be endowed with. Further, word-of-mouth or viral marketing can contribute greatly to the sales success of particular applications. For example, a particular user might show an application on her telecommunications device to her friends, who will then purchase the application for use on their own telecommunications devices. In some cases, the application might be transferred to the telecommunications devices for a free trial and the users are then given an option to purchase the application.
Some applications are able to function while a user of a telecommunications device is carrying on a conversation on the telecommunications device. For example, a user may have a headset or speakerphone feature enabled so that the user is able to view the display of the telecommunications device while talking on the telecommunications device. Thus, the user is then able to view a user interface presented by an application while carrying on a conversation. For instance, during a voice call, the user of the telecommunications device may initiate a personal information manager (PIM) application on the telecommunications device for accessing a phone number of a third party to read the third party's phone number to the person on the other end the call. Thus, while telecommunications devices currently provide a multitude of features, the ever-increasing popularity of telecommunications devices makes it desirable to develop new types of uses, applications and features.